Balasore: The Integrated Test Range (ITR) here has bagged two awards for its success in becoming a self-reliant unit on the National Technology Day.

The test range, a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), won the Silicon Trophy after being adjudged as its best laboratory for 2016 and the Agni Excellence Award for Self-Reliance for 2017.

The awards were given away during the DRDO award ceremony on Monday. ITR director Binay Kumar Das received the awards from defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman at DRDO Bhavan, Delhi.

The test range is one of the DRDO's 52 laboratories, established in the late nineties.

Das said: "These two awards are the most coveted. This year, the award ceremony was held for two years (2016 and 2017) as it could not be held last year."

"We won these awards mainly because of our consistent performance and providing world-class ranges for validation of various ranges of missiles. This range is not only established with the country's own technological resources, but the indigenous lab has also proven itself as one of the best in the world," he said.

"This a proud moment for all of us. These awards add more feathers to our cap and inspire and encourage our staff members to do better. This rare feat of winning awards for two straight years was made possible because of the sheer hard work, sincerity and dedication of all of our men and women," he said.

The ITR is a dedicated missile test site for ranges up to 5,000km. Prithvi and Agni I-V ballistic missiles, Akash and Trishul surface-to-air missiles, the Nag anti-tank missile, and Advanced Air Defence ballistic missile interceptors have all been tested here.